diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4071e76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+#include "parser.h"
+#include "ast.h"
+#include "lexer.h"
+#include "tokenlist.h"
+
+error_t *err_parse_no_match =
+    &(error_t){.message = "parsing failed to find the correct token sequence"};
+
+typedef parse_result_t (*parser_t)(tokenlist_entry_t *);
+
+parse_result_t parse_error(error_t *err) {
+    return (parse_result_t){.err = err};
+}
+parse_result_t parse_no_match() {
+    return parse_error(err_parse_no_match);
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_success(ast_node_t *ast, tokenlist_entry_t *next) {
+    return (parse_result_t){.node = ast, .next = next};
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_any(tokenlist_entry_t *current, parser_t parsers[]) {
+    for (parser_t parser = *parsers; parser; parser = *parsers++) {
+        parse_result_t result = parser(current);
+        if (result.err == nullptr)
+            return result;
+    }
+    return parse_no_match();
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_token(tokenlist_entry_t *current,
+                           lexer_token_id_t token_id, node_id_t ast_id) {
+    if (current->token.id != token_id)
+        return parse_no_match();
+
+    ast_node_t *node;
+    error_t *err = ast_node_alloc(&node);
+    if (err)
+        return parse_error(err);
+
+    return parse_success(node, current->next);
+}
+
+// parse as many of the giver parsers objects in a row as possible, potentially
+// allowing none wraps the found objects in a new ast node with the given note
+// id
+parse_result_t parse_many(tokenlist_entry_t *current, node_id_t id,
+                          bool allow_none, parser_t parser) {
+    ast_node_t *many;
+    error_t *err = ast_node_alloc(&many);
+    parse_result_t result;
+    if (err)
+        return parse_error(err);
+    many->id = id;
+
+    while (current) {
+        result = parser(current);
+        if (result.err == err_parse_no_match)
+            break;
+        if (result.err) {
+            ast_node_free(many);
+            return result;
+        }
+        err = ast_node_add_child(many, result.node);
+        if (err) {
+            ast_node_free(many);
+            ast_node_free(result.node);
+            return parse_error(err);
+        }
+        current = result.next;
+    }
+
+    if (!allow_none && many->len == 0) {
+        ast_node_free(many);
+        return parse_no_match();
+    }
+    return parse_success(many, current);
+}
+
+// Parse all tries to parse all parsers consecutively and if it succeeds it
+// wraps the parsed nodes in a new parent node.
+parse_result_t parse_consecutive(tokenlist_entry_t *current, node_id_t id,
+                                 parser_t parsers[]) {
+    ast_node_t *all;
+    error_t *err = ast_node_alloc(&all);
+    parse_result_t result;
+    if (err)
+        return parse_no_match();
+
+    all->id = id;
+
+    for (parser_t parser = *parsers; parser && current; parser = *parsers++) {
+        result = parser(current);
+        if (result.err) {
+            ast_node_free(all);
+            return result;
+        }
+        err = ast_node_add_child(all, result.node);
+        if (err) {
+            ast_node_free(result.node);
+            ast_node_free(all);
+            return parse_error(err);
+        }
+        current = result.next;
+    }
+    return parse_success(all, current);
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_label(tokenlist_entry_t *current) {
+    return (parse_result_t){.err = err_parse_no_match};
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_directive(tokenlist_entry_t *current) {
+    return (parse_result_t){.err = err_parse_no_match};
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_instruction(tokenlist_entry_t *current) {
+    return (parse_result_t){.err = err_parse_no_match};
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse_statement(tokenlist_entry_t *current) {
+    parser_t options[] = {parse_label, parse_directive, parse_instruction,
+                          nullptr};
+    parse_result_t result = parse_any(current, options);
+    if (result.err)
+        return result;
+
+    if (result.next->token.id == TOKEN_NEWLINE) {
+        result.next = result.next->next;
+        return result;
+    }
+    return parse_no_match();
+}
+
+parse_result_t parse(tokenlist_entry_t *current) {
+    return parse_many(current, NODE_PROGRAM, true, parse_statement);
+}
diff --git a/src/parser.h b/src/parser.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46c3b46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parser.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#ifndef INCLUDE_SRC_PARSER_H_
+#define INCLUDE_SRC_PARSER_H_
+
+#include "ast.h"
+#include "error.h"
+#include "tokenlist.h"
+
+typedef struct parse_result {
+    error_t *err;
+    tokenlist_entry_t *next;
+    ast_node_t *node;
+} parse_result_t;
+
+parse_result_t parse(tokenlist_entry_t *current);
+
+#endif // INCLUDE_SRC_PARSER_H_